Review Process

Review Process

The Arab Media Renewal Journal (AMRJ) employs a rigorous, multi-stage, double-blind peer review process to ensure the scholarly quality, methodological soundness, and ethical integrity of all published content. This process is designed to meet the evaluation criteria of Scopus and Clarivate Analytics (Web of Science) and adheres to the principles established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Review Workflow

All submissions undergo a four-stage evaluation process:

1. Stage 1 - Editorial Screening (3–5 business days)

Upon submission, the Editorial Office conducts an initial assessment to verify scope alignment, adherence to formatting and author guidelines, completeness of required documents (including ORCID, cover letter, and copyright form), and an anti-plagiarism check requiring a minimum originality score of 80% (excluding references) via Turnitin or iThenticate. Manuscripts that do not meet these preliminary criteria are returned to the author(s) with a desk rejection notice.

2. Stage 2 - Double-Blind Peer Review (21–45 days)

Manuscripts that pass editorial screening are anonymized and assigned to a minimum of two (2) independent expert reviewers, selected on the basis of subject-matter expertise, methodological competence, and absence of conflicts of interest. Reviewer selection utilizes ORCID-based expertise mapping and Scopus author profiling to ensure optimal matching. Neither the reviewers nor the authors are aware of each other's identities at any stage of the review.

3. Stage 3 - Editorial Decision (5–7 days after receipt of reviews)

The Editor-in-Chief, in consultation with the relevant Section Editor, synthesizes reviewer reports and issues one of the following formal decisions:

  • Accept as-Is: The manuscript is accepted for publication without revisions (rare for initial submissions).
  • Minor Revisions: The manuscript requires limited corrections (e.g., typographical errors, formatting adjustments, clarification of specific points) with no new data collection or analysis expected. Authors are given 14 days to resubmit.
  • Major Revisions: The manuscript requires substantive changes (e.g., additional analyses, expanded literature review, revised methodology, or restructured argumentation). Authors are given 60 days to resubmit. Revised manuscripts may be returned to the original reviewers for a second evaluation.
  • Reject: The manuscript contains fundamental methodological flaws, falls outside the journal's scope, or does not meet minimum scholarly standards. Authors may submit an appeal to the Editor-in-Chief within 30 days, accompanied by a detailed response to the reviewer comments.

4. Stage 4 - Author Notification (within 72 hours of decision)

Authors receive a comprehensive notification via the OJS platform, including anonymized reviewer reports, an editorial synthesis with specific recommendations, and a timeline for resubmission (if applicable).

Evaluation Criteria

Submissions are assessed according to the following dimensions:

Scholarly rigor, encompassing originality of the contribution (novel theoretical, methodological, or empirical insights), methodological soundness (reproducible design, robust analytical techniques), and data transparency in accordance with FAIR principles. Practical impact, encompassing relevance to Arab media and communication challenges, applicability to media policy, industry practice, or educational programs, and engagement with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) where relevant. Presentation quality, encompassing clarity and coherence of argumentation, adherence to the journal's formatting and citation standards, and quality of bilingual abstracts. Ethical compliance, encompassing adherence to COPE guidelines on authorship, data integrity, and conflicts of interest, and proper citation of peer-reviewed literature (at least 50% from Scopus/WoS-indexed sources).

Transparency Measures

  • Anonymized reviewer comments and editorial synthesis are shared with authors for all decisions.
  • The journal guarantees a maximum turnaround time of 90 days from submission to first decision.
  • Post-acceptance, authors may opt to deposit preprints in recognized repositories.
  • Corresponding authors receive a complimentary electronic copy of the published issue.

Reviewer Standards and Bias Mitigation

AMRJ maintains a reviewer pool with a minimum of 30% international reviewers from institutions outside the Arab region to ensure diversity of perspective. Reviewer performance is monitored through annual quality audits conducted by the Editorial Board. AI-assisted tools are used for reviewer-manuscript matching to minimize bias and optimize expertise alignment.

Appeals Process

Authors who wish to contest a rejection decision may submit a formal appeal to the Editor-in-Chief within 30 days of notification. Appeals must include a point-by-point response to reviewer comments and a justification for reconsideration. The appeal is evaluated by at least one additional reviewer not involved in the original assessment.